Harry Potter and the Slytherin
by MiraQuinn
Summary: Harry dies in his battle with Voldemort in the graveyard but Death gives him a second chance and the tools necessary to defeat the so-called-Dark-Lord. However Harry is not alone as he restarts his journey. There is someone else who remembers the way things were. Someone he would have never expected. A Slytherin.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Guess whose back? Back again? Sooner than you'd expect I reckon. This is the prologue and first chapter for my story _Harry Potter and the Slytherin._ For those just tuning in it's a rewrite of my story Harry Potter and the Altered Fate only with Daphne Greengrass instead of Susan Bones. Expect this to be different than the other one. Least I hope so.

This should be a good teaser so let me know what you think. I try to keep my facts straight but let me know if I missed something vital. Also, if anyone has any good cover art, I'd be eternally grateful.

AS ALWAYS: Like, Subscribe, Favorite and Review!

Without further adieu... *lights dim, screen opens*

_Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I'm just playing in her world._

****Harry Potter and the Slytherin****

**Prologue**

Harry Potter groaned as he opened his eyes. The light all around him was bright. He covered his eyes and fixed his glasses until he managed to get adjusted to the bright light. He stood up and looked around. He was somewhere familiar but he couldn't quite place a finger on it. Wherever he was, he was alone.

He wondered out loud, "Is this…."

"King's Cross Station. Only a lot nicer," came a feminine voice from behind him.

He spun around to see a woman with dark hair standing a few feet away from him. She didn't look anything special. She was just wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and a pair of black boots.

"Who are you? Are we…dead," asked Harry.

"To answer your 2nd question first…yes but no. Kind of. As for the first I am Death, at your service." With that she took a bow.

"Wow…you look different than I expected."

"Let me guess. Skeleton with a giant scythe and a dark foreboding cloak? I gave that up years ago. I only bring it out for costumes parties…or people who deserve to have the stuffing scared out of them," Death replied with a shrug and a smile.

"I don't suppose you could do that and scare the bejesus out of Draco Malfoy for me huh? It'd make for a great joke."

Death looked at him and grinned. "Ever the Marauder, just like your father."

"You knew my father?"

"I know everyone. I'm Death."

Harry looked at her nervously, "so um….what happens now?"

"Well that depends on you actually. What is the last thing you remember?"

Harry thought about it. The last thing he remembered was he was starting the final task of the triwizard cup. He and Cedric had made it to the cup by working together but when the grabbed hold of it they were taken to a graveyard where Cedric had been killed in a surprise ambush by Peter Pettigrew. Then he had been knocked out. He woke up tied to a gravestone and had unwillingly taken part in the resurrection of Lord Voldemort. After that he was released and made to duel Voldemort. He didn't remember anything after that.

"Did…did Voldemort…he..," Harry stammered.

"He killed you. Yes. As he expected too. However this is not the end for you my friend. There is still more for you to do and this time we're going to do it right. Show that bastard who is boss. He has evaded Death long enough and his penitence is due." She paused for a moment before she placed a smile on her face. "This time around we're going to give you some help though. Someone else who will remember this timeline as well. I think you'll know her already but I'll give you two a moment or two alone." With that Death snapped her fingers and there was a bright flash of light.

When Harry's vision cleared, there was a blonde woman in a green and silver Hogwarts' outfit. She had appeared facing away from him and she was looking around lost.

"King's Cross station...only cleaner. As far as where or when. I'm not sure. Just that I arrived here when I died."

The blonde spun around to face him and he found himself looking at none other than Daphne Greengrass, the Ice Queen of Slytherin. She crossed her arms and stared at him.

"Potter," she spat, "What kind of trick is this?"

"It's not a trick. I wish it was. Voldemort killed me...and I ended up here."

"Super," she replied sarcastically, "but why am I here?"

"It's simple my dear. I brought you here." A voice from between the pair answered. Turning to look at the nearest set of tracks, they saw a train that hadn't been there moments before. It was all black, a stark contrast to the hospital white of the normally grungy train station.

"Daphne meet Death. As in the Death. Death, Daphne." Harry introduced politely, even though Death already knew who the young woman was.

"Or Marion if you prefer," Death added, "I've always liked the name personally. To answer your question Miss Greengrass, you are here because I chose you to help Harry defeat Voldemort. You may not say it I know what lies in your heart. You don't believe in the pureblood nonsense that people like Tom Riddle spout. You believe that anyone can make a name for themselves."

Daphne blushed and stammered momentarily before regaining her composure, "So? What of it? It's not wrong to think!"

"You're absolutely right it's not. However, it will take someone as clever and deceptive as the Ice Queen of Slytherin to even have a chance at defeating Tom Riddle and along the way, who knows, maybe you will get a chance to finally express that. Neither one of you can complete their task alone, besides the pair of you are going to be the only ones who remember what happened this year. I am going to place the two of you back the summer before the Triwizard tournament. That should give the two of you time to bond and interact before the school year starts."

"That doesn't really explain anything," Daphne huffed.

Marion looked at her and smiled. "Well then just accept that I'm Death and I wanted too. Besides, I'm sure that things will be fine...unless you'd rather deal with Draco oppressing the Slytherin house for the next few years."

Daphne's face soured. "Draco Malfoy is an idiot and a crybaby. He whines to his father instead of taking care of things and letting HIS actions speak for themselves."

"At least we can agree on that much," Harry replied.

"Besides I'm sure the two of you don't know it yet but there was a marriage contract between the houses of Potter and Greengrass so it would have turned out like this in the end anyway…" Marion replied with a shrug.

"WHAT?" Harry and Daphne replied at the same time, turning and looking at each other and then back to Marion.

"No hexing way am I marrying the golden boy of Gryffindor," exclaimed Daphne.

"Technically you will have too or lose access to your magic on your 18th birthday. It's not Harry's fault, nor is it yours. If you wanna blame anyone, technically your great grandparents would be to blame since they are the ones who set it up. You two just happen to be the first generation that lines up to the terms outlined in the agreement."

"So our great grandparents set this up without any idea who this would affect or even IF it would affect anyone at all," Harry asked

"Pretty much. They were just hoping for a Potter-Greengrass union that would strengthen both houses. I figured who better to help you than your future wife. Gringotts would have informed you of this when you turned 16. I figured I would inform you now to give you both time to come to terms with it, especially with the task of defeating Tom Riddle before you."

Harry and Daphne looked at each other. Harry stood nervously waiting while Daphne stood with her arms crossed and appeared to be fuming. Harry turned to Marion and grinned mischievously. "So you want us to go back and try again because I failed last time and there won't be another chance correct?"

Marion looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Correct."

"So is it possible that we could...make a few small changes before we restart this?"

"It's...possible. What do you have in mind?"

"I want Sirius' name cleared so that I can live with him instead of the Dursley's."

Marion nodded in agreement. "That I am most happy to do. Those muggles were awful, barely human if you ask me. When their day comes I guarantee you they are getting the cloaked skeleton and scythe appearance...if I haven't dreamed up something worse."

"Are these muggles really that bad? I mean...at least you have a home right?" Daphne interrupted "Besides, why would you want to live with a criminal?"

Harry looked at her angrily but before he could say anything Marion spoke to him softly. "She doesn't know Harry…do you want to show her?" Harry looked at Marion and then to Daphne and then back. He took a deep breath and nodded. "How much do you want her to see?"

"If she is going to help and we truly are meant to be married, then show her everything. I will hold no secrets from her." Harry said staring at Daphne. It wasn't a mean look, but rather one of someone who truly wanted her to understand him.

"Everything? Are you sure? Once she knows everything there's no going back. She's going to see all the good. All the bad. All your triumphs and your failures. Everything."

"Do it."

Marion sighed and hoped she had made the right call. With another snap of her fingers a crystal ball on a pedestal. Harry walked over and stood across from her and Marion stood to the side. "All she has to do is place her hand on the orb and she will re-live everything as you did."

Harry looked at Daphne. His emerald eyes met her icy blue ones. "This is everything you could ever want to know about the Boy-Who-Lived. This is my entire life. There is plenty in there that you could use to destroy me. This is every interaction I've ever had with Draco. Every time I've gone up against Voldemort and probably ending in my death during the Tri-Wizard Cup. I am placing my trust and faith in you, what you do with it is up to you."

Daphne looked at Harry and for once, she felt nervous. He had laid his entire hand on the table for her to see, quite literally. She looked at the orb nervously and back to him. "Are...you sure this is what you want Potter?" Harry nodded. As she reached out to touch the orb she noticed her hand was shaking. After what seemed like an eternity her hand met the orb and Harry's life flashed before her eyes. Her knees weakened as tears streamed down her face against her will. She turned away from him so he wouldn't see her cry as she sank to the floor. He walked over and knelt down behind her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder without saying a word. Eventually she stopped and was quiet for a few minutes.

"I...I'm sorry. That was too much...I just…" Before he could finish his sentence, she had turned around and hugged him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "There was so much I never knew."

He returned the hug. "It's ok. We...were from two different worlds. The animosity between Slytherin and Gryffindor didn't help much either." Harry stood and helped Daphne to her feet.

Daphne had turned to Marion. "I want to show him too. It's only fair."

Harry interrupted, "It's not about what's fair. It's about what you want. What you're comfortable sharing."

Marion looked at the two before speaking. "He's right. I can tailor it to show him as much or as little of your life as you want."

"Everything." Daphne repeated, the look of seriousness returning to her face.

"As you wish. All he has to do is touch the orb. Same as you." Marion replied. Inside she was deeply impressed with the commitment of the two. She had made up the whole marriage contract thing in hopes they would get along better but seeing as how they had taken to it she would have to legit write it in when she rebooted time.

"This is everything. Same as you gave me. Try not to judge me too harshly when you see some of it. You will find that there is much you didn't know." She took a deep breath. She had never been this honest with someone. In fact, the only other person who came close to knowing this much about her was her best friend Tracey Davis. Still there were some things she hadn't even told Tracey, like the fact that Draco and his goons had snuck into her room last year and nearly had their way with her. Something she had nightmares about since it happened. Since then she had placed all sorts of magical enchantments, runes and charms on her door to prevent anything like that from ever happening again.

Harry reached out to touch the orb, just as nervous as she had been. He closed his eyes and touched the orb. The entire life of Daphne Greengrass flashed before his entire life. He learned everything there was to know about the Queen of Slytherin, including Draco's transgression the last time around. His eyes glowed with pure anger as he opened them. A completely different reaction then the one Daphne had.

"I swear to Merlin, I'm going to hex his bollocks off," Harry growled.

Daphne was surprised by his reaction. Nobody had really ever given a shit about her before. In fact, most stayed away due to her reputation but even from where she stood she felt the rage within his magic and his aura starting to flare. She would have time to be embarrassed later but for now she had to do something.

"There is plenty of time to deal with Draco later. For now, we need to worry about surviving the next go around...and our future, if that is to be the case," the young blonde woman told him.

He looked at her for a moment before taking a deep breath and walking over to hug her. He embraced her tightly. "It won't happen again," he whispered. He took a deep breath and realized she smelled like a mix of vanilla and sandalwood, a scent which seemed to relax him surprisingly. She blushed at his words and nodded quietly.

"Well, now that you two have that figured out I think that it is time I told you a few things," Marion began. With that she went through the prophecy between Harry and Lord Voldemort before explaining Horcruxes, what they were, how to find them and how to destroy them. "You now know how to defeat Voldemort. With that knowledge, go and bring forth a better future for all of mankind and send me Tom Riddle." With a snap of her fingers the world flashed brightly once again…

Daphne Greengrass found herself waking up in her bedroom at Greengrass manor while Harry found himself waking up in Privet Drive to an owl tapping on his window.

**1**

Harry fetched his glasses from off his side table before crawling out of bed and opening the window. The delivery owl dropped off the Daily Prophet and waited for his knut. Harry fetched the knut and offered the owl some treats which it graciously took. The delivery owl turned and looked at Hedwig before hooting and taking off. Harry closed the window and unrolled the newspaper. What he read made him smile giddily before letting out a cry of joy.

The front page headline read _Sirius Black Cleared of All Charges._ There was a picture of Sirius and the head of the DMLE, Amelia Bones, on the front cover. Sirius was all cleaned up and looking sharp in the picture. Harry scanned through the article before a note fell out from inside. When Harry picked it up he couldn't help but holler in excitement. The note read _Pack your bags. ~Sirius_.

With the excitement and adrenaline rushing through his veins Harry pulled up the floorboards he used to hide a lot of his stuff and put it all on the bed, not even caring that his uncle was lumbering up the stairs after all the noise.

Vernon Dursley unlocked the door to find the boy with his school trunk on his bed, throwing things into it. "What do you think you're doing _boy_," Vernon growled.

"Packing," Harry replied excitedly, not even stopping to look at his uncle as he ran around and began throwing what little he had into his trunk.

"Packing? Where do you think you're going exactly," the walrus man asked.

"To live with my godfather where I'll never have to see any of you ever again. You should be happy!"

Vernon's face turned red at the arrogance of the boy with his back to him. "SAYS WHO?"

Before Harry could respond the doorbell rang. "You may wanna get the door."

Vernon turned and huffed back down the stairs noisily as Harry's pace quickened. Everything was packed in his trunk. His broom was ready to go on his bed. Hedwig was in her cage and looking around at his excitement. The front door had shut and Vernon Dursley started back up the stairs, not used to so much walking. He was huffing by the time he got to the top stairs but he wanted to see the look on the boy's face when he found it that it was just one of the neighbor kids selling girl scout cookies and not his savior. However when Vernon reached the room, the boy and all his stuff were gone. Just disappeared without a trace. Vernon shrugged and headed downstairs for a nice relaxing Saturday...or so he hoped.

Meanwhile Harry had appeared at the DMLE and his stuff had been sent somewhere else. There in front of him stood a shaggy man with a grin.

"SIRIUS!" Harry ran over and hugged his godfather.

"Surprised?" Sirius asked. "I wanted to avoid making a scene so I just sent Dobby to pick you up. He took your stuff home as well but first we have an important meeting to get to."

An hour later the pair came out of the DMLE smiling. It would have taken less time but Sirius insisted on continuing to flirt with Amelia Bones, an old flame of his. The pair seemed to hit it off quite marvelously as if they had never been apart but alas as the head of the DMLE, Amelia Bones had meetings and other tasks to get to but promised Sirius she would stop by later. However, Harry and Sirius had some official celebrating to do first. Sirius was officially his guardian, as Harry's parents had originally wanted. In fact it had even said so in their will but at the time Sirius had been put into Azkaban without a trial making him ineligible for the job.

"Shall we head home? Get you acquainted?" Sirius asked.

"Sure thing. Do you think Madam Bones is really coming over later," Harry asked.

"Knowing my Amy I have no doubt of it. We have a lot of catching up to do," Sirius replied with a wink. "Good thing I've been having Kreacher and Dobby help me clean the house up since I got out. Why? Was there someone you wanted over as well?" Harry nodded. "Wait...is it a girl? Is she your girlfriend?" Sirius asked with a grin.

"Future wife if I'm to believe what I'm told," Harry replied seriously. "Did my dad ever mention a marriage contract, involving House Potter?"

Sirius thought about it as they reached the fireplaces. "Not that I recall but I can see about doing some digging. Our best bet would be to head down to Gringotts."

With a quick floo they found themselves standing in the redecorated living room of #12 Grimmauld Place, better known as home. It was newly remodeled but it was a bachelor pad nonetheless. As soon as they stepped out Dobby appeared.

"Dobby be happy to see Master Harry Potter sir again he is!"

"It's good to see you too Dobby," Harry replied at the sight of a familiar face. "If you too will excuse me a minute I'd like to make a floo call and extend an invitation for dinner this evening."

Sirius nodded, "that's my pup." He and Dobby walked into the kitchen where Dobby began making them a light lunch before he started planning a welcoming feast

Harry knelt down and stuck his head by the fireplace.

"Greengrass residence," answered the older male voice on the other side.

"Can I speak with Daphne please?"

"May I ask who's flooing?"

"Yes. You can tell her it's Harry."

"One moment please." The fireplace went dead for a minute before a familiar face appeared.

"Potter? Is that you," she asked.

"What? You were expecting Harry, prince of Wales," he asked with a grin.

"Tell me you remember Marion…"

"The girl from the Robin Hood stories?"

"Potter," she said seriously.

"Alright. Alright I surrender. Yes...I remember...everything," he said.

"Is that why you floo'd?"

"Well...that….and I wanted to invite you over for dinner. Sirius has been found innocent and I'm living with him now. He's reconnecting with an old girlfriend this evening and I thought perhaps we could make a date of it," Harry answered honestly.

"I'm happy for you Harry but I must say it's a bit presumptuous of you to floo and ask. I would have never thought you had it in you. I mean what if I hadn't remembered and the whole thing had been a dream?"

"Then I'd have been The-Boy-Who-Got-Shot-Down instead." He gave her the famous Potter grin which caused her to smile.

"What time?"

"Five?"

"Sounds good. I'll see you then...but you better not think of trying anything!"

"I'll be the perfect gentleman."

"You'd better or you'll regret it." With that Daphne ended the call.

"I really think she means it pup," Sirius said leaning against the door frame to the kitchen.

"Sirius! How long were you standing there?"

"Long enough. I mean...I am a marauder after all. As are you. Now let's eat lunch, then I'll give you a quick tour and then we better find something nice to wear this evening."

Several hours later both men were dressed nicely and were sitting in chairs by the fireplace when the floo chimed incoming. Both men rose to their feet, a rose in hand, to greet whomever may be first through the floo. Seconds later, Amelia Bones stepped out of the fireplace looking quite different from her normal business attire. She had stopped home to change, with the intention of knocking Sirius off his feet, which she succeeded at as Sirius was left with his jaw on the floor as she entered.

"My, I have not one but two handsome gentlemen waiting for me. I must say that is a first," Amelia said with a smile, waiting for Sirius to catch up.

"It's a pleasure to see you again Lady Bones," Harry replied, elbowing his Dogfather in the ribs. Sirius let out an "OOF!" as he shot a look at Harry before turning back to Amelia.

"You look amazing Amy," he stated, stepping forward and handing her the rose.

Amelia blushed and took the rose. "Always the gentleman." She then turned to Harry. "You can call me Amelia, or Amy if you prefer."

Before Harry could respond the floo chimed again. Amelia stepped next to Sirius as a young woman with long blonde hair in a green and silver dress stepped out of the fireplace. This time it was Harry's turn to be floored as he nervously stepped forward and handed her the rose. "You look beautiful."

Daphne took the rose and smiled. "You clean up pretty well yourself."

Harry grinned from ear to ear as he stepped back to introduce the others. "Daphne Greengrass, may I present my godfather, Sirius Black and Lady Amelia Bones. Sirius, Amy, this is Daphne."

Sirius went to say something but was quickly interrupted by Amelia and judging from the look on the former's face it was probably for the better. "It's a pleasure to meet you Daphne."

"And you as well Lady Bones."

"Please call me Amy."

"Very well." Daphne turned to Sirius, "it's good to see you as well Lord Black. Harry had told me of the injustice done to you and I'm glad to see your release. Harry seems much happier here."

Sirius grinned mischievously. "The important part is that we're all together now and we can make up for lost time. Besides, I'd like to get to know my godson's future wife."

Amelia looked at Sirius and then to Daphne and Harry. Daphne was staring at Harry in a mix of annoyance and disbelief. Harry. Harry was turning red causing Sirius to laugh.

"Come on we can discuss it over dinner," Sirius added, with a chuckle as he took Amelia's arm and headed toward the kitchen. Harry offered his arm to Daphne who took it begrudgingly as the followed Sirius and Amy into the kitchen.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: I plan on releasing new chapters of Hufflepuff and Slytherin at the same time which is why it may seem a little longer between updates but you get updates for both stories. For Harry Potter and the Slytherin it may seem that Daphne and Harry are getting close rather quick. That's kind of planned as I only plan another chapter or 2 of summer before moving to the start of the school year. I figured seeing all of each other's lives really helped them bond. Still tossing up the idea if the marriage contract actually exists or if Marion made the whole thing up. Hmmmm...we shall see**_

_**As always: Like, Subscribe, Favorite and Review!**_

**2**

"I can't believe that you told him," Daphne whispered as they walked, "well I guess I can actually…"

"Sorry I didn't say something first. I was just wondering if my dad had ever mentioned anything to him. They were closer than brothers and I still wasn't sure that I hadn't dreamt the whole thing," Harry replied.

"I know what you mean," she replied.

"What ARE you two whispering about," Sirius asked as he took a seat at the table.

"Oh you know...this and that," Harry responded with a grin, as he pulled out a chair for Daphne to sit. She blushed and took a seat. Dobby quietly floated all the food over to the table as to not interrupt their discussion.

"At least someone's a gentleman," Amy interrupted, nudging Sirius playfully.

"I didn't realize it was a contest," Sirius smirked.

"With girls, it's always a contest," Daphne spoke, causing Amelia to laugh in agreement.

Sirius turning to Harry"Well pup, I'd say we're in trouble."

"I've been in worse," Harry shot back cooly, with a smirk.

"Are you comparing me to a basilisk," Daphne inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Absolutely not. You're far more stunning."

"Good answer."

Sirius laughed. "Your father would be proud."

"So how did you two meet," Amelia asked, changing the subject.

"Hogwarts," Harry answered. "We had a few classes together over the years."

"There has to be more to it than that. I believe Sirius said something about being his future wife...unless he was joking. It's hard to tell with him." Sirius pretended to look offended at the statement

"Actually, he's telling the truth. Daphne and I recently discovered information that there was a marriage contract between our two houses. We were to be informed when we were 16 and are supposed to be married by the time we are 18. It was something out great grandparents setup. Sirius and I were going to head down to Gringotts tomorrow and see if we couldn't get more information." Harry turned to Daphne. "Would you like to come?"

Daphne nodded. "Seeing as how it affects me, I would. Thank you." Harry smiled.

"Not saying there is, but what if there is a way to break the contract. What would you do then?" Amelia continued, curious to see how they'd answer.

"Obviously I am not thrilled with the idea of a contract forcing us to marry. If there is a way out then we'll discuss it and make the decision." Daphne started.  
"I agree. Though I'd rather have Daphne marry me because she wants to, instead of because she has too." Harry added.

Daphne looked at him and smirked. "I didn't realise you were thinking about that already. I mean...we literally just started…" She cut herself off quickly. They hadn't really discussed anything. I mean they literally just found out about things yesterday….or earlier...she wasn't really sure how that whole time worked. Were they dating? I mean here she was with him but what would Tracey think? It certainly wouldn't go over well with her house, not that she cared what they thought. However, she hoped that it would deter Malfoy this go around, instead of making things worse. She looked over at him. She could definitely do worse than Harry Potter, especially since she'd seen his entire life. She knew how fiercely loyal, brave and honest he was. Those were what she'd consider to be the positive Gryffindor attributes. Sure there was a lot of luck involved and he often times charged in without thinking about it but overall, she'd give him a chance...if he wanted it.

"So..uh...how did you two meet? There seems to be a lot between you," Harry asked Amelia and Sirius, sensing Daphne's nervousness. She seemed deep in thought and he wanted to give her a chance to think plus he was legitimately curious on the background between the two.

"Well to be honest, we met at Hogwarts when we were in school. Sirius was always travelling around with your dad and the other two. He was a shameless flirt, your godfather, but there was something about him. We continued dating even after Hogwarts. He saw me through the auror academy and everything. Then...everything happened...I tried my best to tell people he was innocent but nobody would listen to a junior auror, especially one who happened to be dating him. I fell under scrutiny too. I was taken aside and asked all sorts of questions. The thing that bothered me the most though was that he never got a trial. There wasn't enough to free him until lately," Amelia spoke, looking ashamed at the end.

"Like I said, it's in the past. What matters most is that we're together now and we can pick up where we left off," Sirius replied,putting an arm around her to comfort her.

After dinner Harry and Daphne went into the library to talk while Sirius and Amelia stayed in the living room and cuddled on the couch in front of the fireplace. Harry shut the door behind them hoping for a little privacy. He sat down on the love seat next to Daphne. Both of them remaining quiet for a moment before Daphne spoke up.

"Thanks...for what you did at dinner. Don't think I didn't notice. It was appreciated. It just made me realize that we should probably talk." Harry nodded, realizing that this was in fact truly the first time they had been alone together. He turned and looked at her, really taking the time to see her for the first time. She was truly beautiful and he knew that at Hogwarts her grades rivaled that of even Hermione. Not to mention she was clever and cunning. Something he had seen numerous times when he had seen her life. If this was the girl he was meant to be married too he most certainly felt lucky. "Potter, if this marriage contract truly exists….and there is no way of breaking it...I...wouldn't be disappointed. I'm not saying that this was a choice I would have made last go around and I didn't. However, seeing all of someone's life…it changes how you see people...how you think about them…"

"I know the feeling. You are a Slytherin and I'm a Gryffindor. It's something neither one of us would have really considered, at least not without taking the time to get to know each other first. I shudder to think what would have happened when we turned 16."

"I don't think it would have gone as well. However, we've seen everything about each other. Know stuff I haven't even told Tracey...and you know something….it doesn't bother me. I actually feel kind of relieved to be honest. It feels good to trust someone with everything."

Harry smiled as his eyes met that of his Slytherin counterpart. "Believe me. I feel the same way. Where...where does that leave us though?"

"Well to be blunt. You had a date for the Yule ball that let's face it, ended awfully, and I didn't go with anyone. Aside from that, neither one of us has ever actually dated anyone. I've been asked but never accepted…"

"And what if I asked?"

"I guess you'd have to ask and find out," she replied coyly.

Harry gathered his nerves and turned so that he was facing her. He knew she'd say yes but that didn't make it any easier. "Daphne, would you do me the great honor of being my girlfriend?" Time slowed and each beat of his heart seemed to echo loudly.

"I don't know," she said pretending to be thinking, "Me dating a Gryffindor? What will people think?" She turned and saw the look in his eyes. He was waiting for her to answer and it looked like he was holding his breath. She genuinely smiled, "A Potter on the other hand is definitely more than acceptable. I would be happy to call you my boyfriend." His eyes lit up as a smile spread infectiously across his face. He took her hand and kissed the back of it, causing her to blush, before holding her hand. "Never in all my years would I have thought I would be dating Harry Potter…" she whispered, almost as if she were afraid that saying it would shatter reality.

"All those divination classes never told me that my first girlfriend would be Daphne Greengrass. I guess I need to work harder. See if I can get something besides my own death next term."

Daphne snickered. "You should switch to Runes."

"Why? Did they predict this outcome?"

"No but at least you don't die every class."

"Fair point. I'll consider it. If only I knew someone who was good in that class who could tutor me...I know! Maybe I'll ask Hermione!" This got him a playful smack on his arm from his girlfriend. "I kid. I kid. I will need a little help though if I'm to get caught up and understand it all."

"Good thing you have a brilliant girlfriend."

"Doesn't hurt that she's beautiful either." Daphne smiled. She'd been told she was beautiful and good looking lots of times before but when he said it, she knew he meant it. That there was no ulterior motive behind it. She moved closer, resting her head on his shoulders as they sat on the loveseat together. He smiled and put an arm around her. The two quietly sat there, enjoying the moment before Daphne spoke up.

"You know a lot of people aren't going to like this right? Weasley being among the top of them."

Harry thought about it for a moment and shrugged. "They can deal with it or go somewhere else."

"But...he's been your best friend since your first train ride….you'd just give him up?"

"I know Ron and his prejudice against Slytherins. If he doesn't like it then he doesn't have to hang around. You're my girlfriend, and for all we know my future wife. I will not let anyone bad mouth or disrespect you."

"You'd do that? For me? I mean...we literally just started dating," she asked, stunned that he would do something like that for her. That anyone would do something like that for her.

"Of course I would. Without a second thought." Despite her best efforts a tear of happiness escaped her eyes because she knew that he meant every word of it. A few more minutes of quiet bliss passed. "Tomorrow, after Gringotts, would you...like to go on a date?"

"Why Mr. Potter, asking me to be your girlfriend and then on a date in one day? You're setting a precedence that will hard to beat in the future."

"I suppose it does."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well there's this little restaurant down on of the side streets that I hear is pretty good. Plus it will give us a little more privacy. After that I was thinking we could do a little shopping and maybe get some ice cream."

"Well looks like you've got things all thought out."

"Can't always be a brash, reckless Gryffindor," he replied with a smile.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Bet ya thought I forgot about ya huh? NOPE! Just busy writing two stories at once and trying to keep the facts straight. I hope you enjoy the third chapter of Harry Potter and the Slytherin**

**AS ALWAYS: LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, FAVORITE AND REVIEW**

That night Harry's dreams tormented him. A flash of blue and a loud thud signaled the use of a portkey, as Harry had hit the ground before he heard the voice that had haunted his dreams a million times before. "Kill the sssspare." "NOOOO," Harry yelled as he threw himself towards his competitor turned friend but he was too slow just like every other time and the green ball of energy hit Cedric square in the chest. He dropped to the ground, dead, with his eyes still open. A vision that haunted Harry. He turned around and found himself face to face with the Voldemort. His red eyes staring into him.  
"_Harry_" he heard a voice whisper. He looked around quickly but couldn't see anyone. "There's nowhere to run Potter and nowhere to hide. Now stand up straight and duel me!"  
"_Harry, wake up."_ The voice came again. He felt himself being shaken gently despite the fact that nobody was there.  
He turned to face Voldemort and saw he was surrounded by death eaters. They were laughing at him and mocking him, saying how we was going to die.  
"_Harry, wake up. You're having a nightmare."_ He felt himself being shaken slightly harder this time. The dream snapped shut as he sat up in bed, sweating from his bad dreams, his eyes wide open and his vision blurry. He reached out with one hand and fumbled around for his glasses, which were promptly handed to him. He put them on to see Sirius sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Are you alright Harry? That was some nightmare you were having. I could hear you down the hall."

Harry ran his fingers through his hair and nodded, taking a deep breath. "Sorry. Just a bad memory...Voldemort...it's nothing."

"Harry, Voldemort and nothing don't go in the same sentence together. Whose Cedric," Sirius asked, his voice concerned.

"It's nothing. Just a bad dream. A nightmare," Harry replied.

Sirius raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "Alright. Well if you change your mind and wanna talk about it, I'm here for you."

Harry looked at Sirius and smiled. "Thank you." The two hugged before Sirius left the room. Harry got up shortly after to run cold water on his face. He had a feeling it was going to be a rough night.

* * *

The next morning Harry had been up early and gotten himself showered and made presentable before anyone else was out of bed. He had made his way down to living room and was resting on the couch, when he heard the door open upstairs and voices whispering. He sat up and peered over the couch to see Sirius and Amelia Bones walking quietly down the stairs.

"Are you sure you can't just take the day off Amy? We could lie in bed like we used to. Have a little fun," Sirius whispered

"Oh Sirius, you're incorrigible. I'm the head of the DMLE. I can't just take a day off. Besides what would Harry say if he saw me here," Amelia responded with a smile.

"Probably nothing because it's none of his business," Harry answered loudly, startling the pair.

"Merlin's beard! You startled me Harry," Amelia said. Sirius couldn't help but laugh. "What are you doing up this early?"

"Couldn't sleep. It's alright though. I got a few hours. I'll be fine."

"More nightmares," Sirius asked concerned.

Harry nodded. "Something like that."

"What happened that caused these nightmares? Do we need to take you to a healer?"

"I told you I'm fine. Just a rough night." Truth be told it was just the opposite. Every time Harry closed his eyes and attempted to rest visions of the graveyard, the flash of the spell, Cedric's dead body, and Voldemort's eyes would immediately start dancing in his head.

"You don't look fine. You look exhausted and if this keeps up I'm going to take you to a healer myself. Is that understood?" Harry nodded in response.

Amelia looked at the time and spoke up. "I've got to get going. Gotta get home and shower and change before work but I'll see you both tonight. I hope you feel better Harry." With that Amelia Bones grabbed a handful of floo powder and stepped into the fireplace. A moment later she was gone.

Later the same morning, a chime on the fireplace notified the occupants that there was an incoming Floo occupant. Harry stood up, straightened his shirt and tried to fix his black hair, to no avail. His father's hair had been the same way though. Daphne stepped out of the fireplace and couldn't help but smile as she saw Harry. A smile which he quickly returned. She could tell by looking at him that he hadn't sleep well. He quickly greeted her with a hug and a kiss to the cheek, causing her to blush and momentarily forget everything else. "You look beautiful as always."

"And you look exhausted. Is everything ok," she asked concerned.

"I'm fine. Just….didn't sleep well. I had nightmares….about the graveyard. Everytime I close my eyes I see it. Voldemort, Cedric, always ending in my death…"

She hugged him. "I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?" Harry shook his head.

"You could explain to me what a graveyard and Voldemort has to do with a nightmare and some kid named Cedric. Harry was screaming in his sleep last night. He sounded terrified," Sirius said, standing in the doorway.

Harry and Daphne looked at each other, almost as if they were silently communicating. Finally she nodded and they turned to Sirius. "Take a seat Sirius. This may take a while," Harry said before heading back to the couch. Daphne knew he would need extra emotional support so she took a deep breath, and sat right on Harry's lap, much to both Harry and Sirius' surprise. Sirius took a seat on the other end of the couch. "Right. So this is where it gets complicated…" Harry explained everything to Sirius from the triwizard tournament, to the graveyard, to meeting he was done he looked at Daphne, unable to look at Sirius. The feeling of failure looming overhead. They sat there quietly as Sirius took the time to process it.

Finally Sirius spoke up and when he did it wasn't what they were expecting. "Was she hot?"

"Who," Harry asked, confused.

"Death. Was she hot?"

Daphne shook her head at the antics of Harry's godfather before Harry spoke up. "She was no Daphne if that's what your asking. Besides, I think Amy would disapprove."

Daphne blushed and kissed his cheek while Sirius busted out in laughter. "You're probably right." After the laughter died down he looked at them pair of them. "I'm sorry about what happened last time. I'm sorry that I wasn't around to help more. From the sounds of it things went differently this time. I don't suppose you'd happen to know anything about that would you?"

Harry grinned. "I'm sure I wouldn't."

"Of course not. Thank you for telling me though. It couldn't have been easy. We should get moving though. Don't wanna keep the goblins waiting. They are extremely picky about that."

With that they left they couch and took the floo to Gringotts arriving several minutes early which was always preferred when dealing with goblins. Waiting in line they met with the head goblin. When they got up there Harry did the talking.

"Harry Potter, Daphne Greengrass, and Sirius Black to see account manager Griphook. We have an appointment."

The goblin looked down at his book and smiled a very toothy, if almost intimidating smile. "Very good." With that he rang a bell and another goblin appeared. "They have an appointment with Griphook. Show them to his office."

The goblin nodded and turned to the party. "Follow me." With that the goblin lead them through a series of turns and hallways past several offices until they came to one that said Griphook, Account Manager. The young goblin knocked, waiting for a reply.

"Enter."

The goblin opened the door and stepped in. "Harry Potter, Daphne Greengrass and Sirius Black here to see you sir." With that he waited til we had entered and taken a seat before leaving, shutting the door behind him.

"What can I do for you today," he asked, his gaze moving between the three of them.

"We were hoping you might be able to tell us of a marriage contract between Houses Potter and Greengrass," Harry replied.

"I wondered when someone would come asking about that. While it is to be revealed when you both turn 16, it is a rather...unique situation, in that while the contract does it exist it has been sealed and we are unable to open it to verify the contents of it. With your permissions we would like to see about getting our curse-breakers on it. Though the name implies as such they are well-versed in unique magics. If we do manage to get it open, you would immediately be notified."

Harry turned to Daphne. "What do you think? It couldn't hurt...probably. Besides there may be a clue as to why it was sealed like that in the first place." Daphne thought about it a moment before nodding her head in agreement.

"I concur. Go ahead and get started."

The goblin nodded. " else I can do for you today?"

"Harry, my boy, why don't you claim your head of house while we're here," Sirius suggested. "That way you will be Lord of house Potter."

"Well I don't know anything about being a Lord but sure I suppose." He turned back to Griphook. "Let's do that as long as I'm here. How would one go about that?"

Griphook reached in his drawer and pulled out a ring as well as a folder and set them both on the desk. "Simply tap your wand to the ring and declare your intent."

Harry took his wand and tapped the ring. "I do hereby take up the mantle of the Lord of House Potter." The ring glowed before disappearing. A moment later the ring of House Potter appeared on his hand. It was a large black ring with his house crest in full color and it sat on his right ring finger. Harry would have to say that it was probably the fanciest thing he owned. Certainly nicer than any of stuff he had owned at the Dursleys. Thankfully he wouldn't be going back there. "Thank you. I believe that should do it. Hopefully the curse breakers can figure out the contract soon. If you'll excuse us, Griphook. May your gold always shine."

"And may your pockets never have holes Lord Potter."

With that the trio left Gringotts. Once they were outside Harry took Daphne's hand. "If you'll excuse us. I promised Daphne a date. We'll meet you back at home."

Sirius grinned. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Harry shook his head as he and Daphne started down the street to a restaurant Harry had heard good reviews about. It was a little off the beaten path but he didn't mind. Neither one of them noticed the blond haired woman with glasses and a camera following them.

Harry had held the door for Daphne at the small restaurant and she smiled. _CLICK_

"Why thank you Mr. Potter."

"Anytime Miss Greengrass," he said giving her the Potter grin. _CLICK_

The two of them were led to a table where Harry once again pulled out a chair for her. Neither one of them noticed a beetle follow them in and take a hidden spot in the rafters nearby to eavesdrop. They ordered a pair of butterbeers as they looked over the menu. Once they had decided and placed an order with the returning waitress they looked at each other and smiled.

"You know if you had told me at the end of our last year, that'd I'd be dating Harry Potter by the end of summer I'd have thought you'd lost your mind…"

"Daphne…there's….something you should know," Harry began carefully, "You're dating Harry Potter by the end of summer." He gave her a grin and broke out laughing.

She shook her head and smiled. "What am I going to do with you Potter?"

Harry shrugged. "I have no idea. Probably hex me before too long I'd think. We should figure out is how we're going to tell people. I can't imagine many of our houses will be too pleased with this arrangement and hiding it will never work, not to mention I don't want to."

Daphne nodded. "It's a good start. A little strategy never hurts when it comes to things like this."

_By tomorrow morning it will be all over the front page so it won't matter_ The beetle thought.

"I'd ask if you're sure you want to do this but I know how stubborn you can be," Harry said with a grin.

"This coming from the boy-who-gets-into-trouble-every-year," she retorted.

The pair of them laughed.

"Here's the thing," Harry said, working his nerve up. "I don't care who knows or what they think. What I DO care about is what you think and how you feel." Daphne's face reddened at his words.

"Ten points to Gryffindor for smooth talking," she smiled. "I, however, do agree with you. Our relationship is between us. It doesn't matter what other people think."

"Are you going to be ok when we go back to school? I can't imagine Slytherin and Malfoy…"

"It's sweet of you to worry Harry but I've been in Slytherin since the beginning and I can most certainly handle Malfoy. I mean...I am the Ice Queen of Slytherin after all," she replied.

"Why is that actually? I mean the nickname," Harry inquired.

"To be honest it's because I'm usually cold and distant to most people. Keeps people like Malfoy from bothering me too much, as well as anyone thinking of asking me out at bay," she answered honestly. "Normally the only people I talk to are Tracey and my sister Astoria, Keeps things simple that way."

"Sounds lonely to be honest. Also it didn't seem to serve you that well if since I asked you out not only on a date but to be my girlfriend."

"Yeah...well...you're a different case Mr. Potter. A very different case. I've seen your life. What has happened to you. How you react to things. Just like you have seen mine. If that isn't worth building a relationship on then I don't know what is. The truth is we'll never know anyone as well as we know each other," she added looking at him. Their eyes met and they both smiled.

"I...I'm glad that I failed...last time around. It gave me a chance to meet you. The real you. The one that I have quickly grown to cherish. Something I was wrong to not take the time to do." Harry spoke truthfully. While at first he had felt like a failure, he was glad that he was because it gave him the chance to meet and get to know the real Daphne Greengrass. To him that was the best gift ever. A gift he would have never expected. She blushed and he noticed her eyes tearing up. "Did...I say something wrong?"

She shook her head. "No...in fact you said something very right. I've always been careful about who I open up to. As the heir of the Greengrass name and a Slytherin I always suspected everyone had ulterior motives but not you. I know you don't and you never would. I feel like I really missed out getting to know you last time and it would have been my fault."

Harry smiled. "I understand. With most people I'm just the Boy-who-lived or the one who killed Voldemort. Nobody accepts me for plain old Harry. Apparently there are all sorts of books and toys and stuff about me out there in the Wizarding World."

Daphne nodded. "I remember those. I think Astoria had a couple of them as a kid. She would always talk about how she was going to marry you when she grew up. Those books though. They made you sound like some valiant knight who rode in on a white pegasus and defeated Voldemort. That before you came to Hogwarts you were living in a castle with dragons and all the food you could eat." She stopped and went through her memories of his past, knowing how far from the truth those books were. "If they only knew…"

"Nobody needs to know. It doesn't matter. I just wanna be Harry. That's all that matters."

The pair continued to talk as their food arrived. The Rita Beetle was getting all sorts of juicy tidbits for her article, unbeknownst to the young couple. Soon their relationship and private conversations would be all over the front page.


	4. Chapter 4

Apparently I had this chapter already finished so please enjoy. I've got a good part of a 5th chapter started as well. I've been loving the reviews!

**AS ALWAYS: LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, FAVORITE AND REVIEW **

* * *

The following morning Harry had more than just nightmares to deal with as an owl dropped off the Daily Prophet. There, on the front page, was a picture of him and Daphne, with the door to the cafe held open, the pair smiling at each other.

_**BOY WHO LIVES DATING GREENGRASS HEIR**_

_In a shocking revelation, it has been verified that young Harry Potter is dating the heir to the Greengrass fortune. The pair were spotted yesterday exchanging smiles before entering Carlson's Cafe in Diagon Alley. _

_Mr. Potter admitted that he was glad to have met Miss Greengrass and the time they had spent getting to know each other. He also admitted that while he didn't care what most of us in the wizarding world think of him, he does care what Miss Greengrass thinks of him. _

_Daphne Greengrass known to her fellow students as the Ice Queen of Slytherin is in fact dating the Gryffindor Golden Boy, a fact which will not be overlooked upon their return to Hogwarts in the fall. Two prominent figures of opposing houses dating is practically unheard of due to the fallout of such a relationship ending. _

The article went on to detail how both houses were well off before going into how Daphne was just dating him for his fame. Theorizing that it would be the only reason for the two to date. The article goes on to talk about how neither have ever been seen dating before. It also goes on to speculate the integrity of the two, wondering if the pair had spent time in the many broom closets before Hogwarts had ended.

_Shit!_ Thought Harry as he got up and bolted up the stairs past Sirius.

"What's the rush pup," Sirius asked. Harry stopped and handed him the paper.

"That frickin reporter followed us and spied on us somehow. There were things in that article that were between Daphne and I. Not to mention the pictures! I have to get over there this morning, maybe we can mitigate the damages." Harry continued up to his room and changed while Sirius followed behind slower, reading the paper as he walked.

"I have to say though, this is a pretty good picture of you two. Just wish she hadn't been the one to catch it. I'll come with you. I've got experience with bad press and I am your guardian."

"That's fine," Harry said coming back out of his room, in a fresh set of clothes with his hair combed as much as it could be.

The pair headed back downstairs to the fireplace where Harry placed a floo call. He didn't know if she'd be up but he was certain her father would be. This wasn't exactly how he wanted to meet her father but he had gotten her into this situation so he had to take responsibility.

"Greengrass Manor," a female house elf answered.

"Good morning! My name is Harry Potter. Is Daphne awake or perhaps Lord Greengrass?"

"OHHH! Missus Daphne's Potter! Missus Daphne is still sleeping. Master Greenygrass is awake."

"Can we talk to him, preferably in person."

"Lolli go check with Master Greengrass." With that the floo went silent. Harry's heart was racing as he wasn't sure what to expect.

"Take a deep breath," Sirius advised, "You're likely to pass out otherwise. Though maybe you could get some sleep then."

A moment later the House elf appeared. "Master Greenygrass says you may come. He will be meeting you."

"Thank you Lolli," Harry replied. He waited for the House Elf to clear the floo before stepping through, Sirius followed behind.

He stepped through into a large living room with fancy furniture. He stumbled a bit but managed to catch himself before looking around. This was the fanciest place he'd ever seen. It wasn't hard to believe that Daphne lived here. Through the door on the far end of the room came a tall man with short, blonde hair.

"Good morning! We usually don't get callers this early but I heard it was urgent. I suspect this is about the article in the Daily Prophet," said the man.

"Yes sir. I'm Harry Potter and this is my godfather Sirius Black. I would like to apologize for the article and see what we can do to help."

The man smiled. "I'm Cyrus Greengrass and you have nothing to apologize for my boy. The picture on the front page shows how happy she is with you. It has been a while since I've seen her smile like that. Yesterday, she came home after spending a day with you and was a completely different person. She was happy and smiling and carefree. It was quite the change." He paused for a moment. "Anyway, the article was not your fault. It was that damned Rita Skeeter. She doesn't know how to leave people alone. When you're in a noble house, or constantly in the spotlight such as yourself, you have to constantly be aware of such things. I take it you don't have much experience on the matter?"

"No sir. Not really. I was raised by muggles and didn't even know magic existed until Hagrid showed up and told me. Kinda throws that whole living in a castle theory out the window from all those storybooks."

Cyrus chuckled, "I suppose it does. I can't believe you were isolated from the magic world though. That seems a bit much."

"I would agree with you. Unfortunately it wasn't my choice. However since my godfather has been cleared, things have gotten much better."

"I see. I'm glad to hear that on both accounts." Cyrus stated before turning to Sirius. "It's good to see you are a free man again Sirius. I never thought you'd done all those awful things."

"Thanks. Glad to see someone believed me. Just sorry that it took so long for them to figure it out but what's done is done I suppose. It's good to see you again Cyrus. Do you know anything about this marriage contract between your house and the Potters by any chance?"

"You know I was going to ask you the same thing. I had just heard of it the other day and the weird circumstances behind it. I mean I have no objection to the union per se but I find the fact that nobody has seen it a little strange. Hopefully the curse breakers will have it sorted out quickly. That was a good call Mister Potter."

"Thank you sir. Please call me Harry."

"As you wish. You may call me Cyrus. Daphne hasn't woken up yet but I sent Lolli to wake her."

"With all due respect Cyrus, may I be the one to tell her?"

"Tell me what," Daphne asked entering the room. She had thrown on a simple pair of shorts and a tanktop and was looking between the room's occupants. Harry looked to Cyrus who nodded.

Harry stood up and took the Daily Prophet from Sirius before handing it to Daphne. He gave her a minute to process it, watching her get more annoyed the more she read. When she was done reading, she folded the paper and handed it back to Harry with a fire in her eyes. "I'm sorry Daph. It's my fault. I should have been paying more attention to the surroundings…."

Daphne took a deep breath before looking into Harry's emerald eyes. "It's not your fault Harry. It's the damn reporter. My question is how she knew some of that stuff. Surely we would have seen her stalking us. Besides a lot of that was said when we were at the table and she was nowhere around."

"Invisibility? Polyjuice Potion?" Harry suggested.

"Polyjuice is out because she would have had to come in at the same time as we did and sit near us but we were the only ones to enter at that time. Some sort of Invisibility is possible I suppose."

"On the plus side, I do love the picture. I think I'll frame it," Harry said with a grin.

"I concur actually," Cyrus added, "It's good to see you smile again Daphne."

Daphne blushed. "Will you two stop it?"

"They were going easy. I was going to blow it up and show it at the wedding," Sirius grinned before him and Cyrus broke out in laughter.

Harry reached over and took Daphne's hand to keep her from exploding. Once again defusing the situation. He smiled at her before turning back to the older men in the room.

"Who said you're even invited," Harry quipped. Sirius stopped and pretended to look wounded making everyone laugh. Cyrus spoke up.

"I'm sure the two of you are going to be getting lots of questions from friends and whoever else so you'll have to be prepared for that. It's going to be a long day."

Harry turned to Daphne, talking quietly. "Sorry about all this Daph. This isn't the way we wanted things to go."

Daphne shrugged. "Things in life rarely do but we'll handle it together. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go get changed and then we can do some damage control." Harry nodded as she stepped out to change.

"I think I'm going to have a word with the Editor of the Prophet this morning," Cyrus said calmly. "Would you like to join me Sirius?"

"Very much so."

With that the pair started talking strategy and what they were going to say. Harry sat on the nearby couch and started thinking about the reactions of his friends. He took a deep breath and leaned his head back against the couch, knowing that his biggest worries were going to be Ron...and possibly Ginny. Fred and George would think it was awesome while he wasn't sure what Hermione would think. This go around was going to be a lot more interesting than the first time. Hopefully he would be better off this time around since he knew what the future held. He knew his name would come out of the goblet this fall and nothing would change that short of figuring out who put his name in there to begin with which he didn't have any leads on. He would've guessed one of the Death Eaters but he wasn't sure how they would get through the barrier, much less fool the goblet's magic. His thoughts were interrupted by the reemergence of his girlfriend. He smiled at her. She was dressed for business and he thought that she looked fantastic. She saw him staring.

"What," she asked, worried something was wrong.

He shook his head. "Nothing. You look fantastic."

She grinned. "If you think this is something special, you are in for a world of surprises Mister Potter."

"Is that so," he responded with a raised eyebrow.

Before their conversation could continue, they heard Cyrus Greengrass clear his throat. The pair stopped and looked at the older men. Sirius was grinning like a fool.

"If you two are quite finished, we're going to head out. You two can head to Grimmauld Place and get ready to answer questions. I'm sure they'll be starting any time now. We're going to go...take care of a few things. After we do that we'll be back to let you know what's going on."

Harry and Daphne nodded as they all headed towards the fireplace. Sirius and Cyrus went first heading towards the office of the Daily Prophet while Daphne and Harry floo'd back to Grimmauld Place. Upon arriving they noticed that the house was already swarmed with people, most of them redheads.

"Funny, I thought I lived here," Harry said sarcastically.

"You were obviously mistaken," Daphne replied. "Besides, any home of the great Harry Potter is open to the public. Didn't you know?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Must have missed the memo."

As people gathered around and began speaking all at once Harry put up his hand to silence them all. Strangely enough it worked. "Yes. Daphne and I are dating. Yes there is a marriage contract between our houses as far as we know. No I'm not breaking it. Also despite what the paper says Daphne is not using me for anything. We've actually been having a lot of fun. I'm sorry we didn't do it sooner. That all being said the first person to say something negative about either Daphne or this situation will be hexed. Now…any questions?"

The room was quiet. Ginny looked like she wanted to murder someone…a certain blonde Slytherin to be precise but she kept her mouth shut. Ron went to say something before the twins put a hand over his mouth.

"Wouldn't do that Ronniekins…"

"Harry was quite serious…"

The pair turned to Harry and continued their twinspeak.

"Best he not speak…"

"At all…"

"We however congratulate you…"

"On such a fine catch…"

With that the twins drug Ron off to another part of the house for his own good. Ginny stormed off after them.

"Well that was fun," Harry stated with a touch of sarcasm.

"Do they always do that? The twinspeak thing I mean," Daphne asked.

"Usually. It can be entertaining at times. I've often wondered how they managed it. I swear they practice or something."

"You know next time you decide to sneak off and start dating you could let your friends know first. I'm sure the newspaper did a fantastic job. I just wasn't aware you two were dating much less on friendly terms," a voice from behind them said. They turned around to see a bushy haired witch standing there with her arms crossed.

"Hermione! I thought you were supposed to be in France with your parents," Harry exclaimed.

"I am...or rather I was. I still get the Prophet delivered and when I saw the frontpage this morning. I took the first floo I could to get back and figure out what is going on for myself."

"You could have just sent a letter…"

"But then I'd have to wait for a response if you even sent one at all. I figured it was best if I came in person. Besides I wanted to meet Daphne in person and get to know the girl who stole my best friend's heart." Hermione turned to Daphne. "It's a pleasure to meet you, officially anyway. I know we have quite a few classes together. Your grades are always right up there with mine. Maybe you can get Harry to start studying too."

"Likewise Miss Granger. I enjoy finally meeting the one who's been challenging my grades as well as someone who seems to be open-minded about the whole thing," Daphne replied.

"If there is one thing that I am it is definitely open minded and logical about things. So can you tell me how this all started...i mean...well the whole dating thing...I haven't been gone THAT long," Hermione fumbled.

Harry and Daphne looked at each other before Harry responded. "It started shortly after we got back from Hogwarts. We had received letters from Gringotts informing us that our families had a marriage contract that was over a hundred years said that there were some strange magics around the contract that wouldn't actually allow them to open it but the goblin curse breakers are working on it. Meanwhile Daphne and I decided to make the best of it. We took the time to get to know each other and I asked her out. The rest as they say is history."

Hermione smiled. "Well I'm glad to see you happy Harry. Both of you really. I'm just sorry people had to find out this way."

"That's ok. At least now it's out and will give people time to adjust before school starts up again in the fall," Daphne responded matter of factly.

* * *

The summer continued uneventfully. Daphne and Harry went on several more dates without being bothered by a certain reporter. It made Harry wonder what Cyrus and Sirius had done. Harry had also gone to dinner with the Greengrass' and gotten to know both her parents and Astoria better. Astoria had hung around the pair for a while, mainly talking to Harry and asking about his life and if what was said about him was true. They spent a lot of time talking to Astoria until she figured out that he was neither the prince that the stories made him out to be nor the things Malfoy said about him. He was just Harry, plain and simple.  
As the days wore on, Harry grew more and more exhausted and Daphne grew worried. They had tried dreamless sleep potions but he couldn't take them every night otherwise he would grow resistant to them. The rest of the time the nightmares would flood his dreams leaving him with many a sleep deprived night. It got worse and worse until one day Harry passed out from exhaustion. Luckily it happened while they were at Grimmauld Place so that Sirius could carry him up to his room. Daphne sat with him and watched him sleep. Everything was going fine until the nightmares started and he began to thrash about the bed. She knew how exhausted he was and these nightmares were going to wake him up. She crawled in bed next to him and began to softly talk and sing to him. The thrashing subsided and he looked peaceful laying there asleep. She laid with him, resting her head on his chest. Even in his sleep he put an arm around her and smiled. Eventually Daphne fell asleep as well. From then on, Daphne stayed with Harry and since then he hadn't had one nightmare. Every day he appeared more well rested and cheerful, which Sirius teased him for. Both were glad he was finally managing to sleep. After a week or so Daphne brought a bag over and Harry made room for her things. The two of them shared a room but despite how it looked the two had yet to even share a kiss. Daphne and Hermione did spend a good portion of the summer teaching Harry Runes and helping him improve his grades. Before they knew it school was starting again soon, on the plus side they knew what most of the homework was. The downfall however was that Harry would have to do the Tri-wizard tournament again. Something that he was definitely not looking forward to.

It was the week before school and the pair had just arrived at Diagon Alley to pick up school supplies. Harry and Daphne arrived and began making their way through the alley picking up various supplies and books, with Harry picking up the Runes book instead of Divination. He was honestly happy to be rid of that class. Sure it was an easy O if he just predicted his death but he was tired of being told that, especially after what happened. The pair left Gambol and Japes and were heading towards Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor when they heard a venomous voice from behind them.

"Well if it isn't the blood-traitor and the Golden boy. I never thought you'd be one to disgrace the name of Slytherin by being a cheap floozy whose after Potter's fame, Greengrass. In fact…" Without warning Harry spun and punched Draco Malfoy in the stomach. Harry leaned down and whispered in his ear.

"You better learn your manners Draco. Next time you talk about Daphne like that, things will be far worse for you. Consider this a warning." With that, Harry turned around and took Daphne's hand once more. They took a few steps when Harry heard something that caused him to dive into action.

"_Diffracto!"_ With one step he shoved Daphne to the left as he felt the spell hit his left arm and shatter the bones. Harry wanted to scream but he couldn't let Malfoy win. He spun around in the direction of the spell, ignoring the large amount of pain.

"_EXPELLIARMUS!" _The spell hit true causing Malfoy's wand to fly out of his hand. Seeing he was out of options Draco turned and fled. Harry gritted his teeth as his breathing labored. He turned to Daphne who had fallen and offered her his good hand. "Are you alright?"

Daphne went through a wide series of emotions ranging from concern to hatred before landing on anger. "Am I ok," she asked with eyes getting watery. "AM I OK? You just intercepted a spell that was meant for me and ended up with a broken arm as a result after standing up for me mere moments earlier!" She took Harry's good hand and stood as he pulled her up. "We need to get you to a healer." Harry nodded.

"One thing first." With that he picked up Malfoy's wand and stuck it in his back pocket. "Hopefully he'll think twice next time."

"He's not the one with a broken arm. I don't know whether to kiss you for standing up for me and protecting me or kill you for worrying me like that." He could see she was close to tears but she was part of a proud family and refused to cry.

"I'm sorry Daph. Really I am. I didn't mean to worry you. Let's get going ok? We've had enough excitement for one day."

"I'd be happy if that was the only excitement we had all year but we both know better." She took his good hand and walked down the street where people were staring at him after the events that occured. She knew that no matter what this was going to end up in the papers tomorrow. As the pair reached the Leaky Cauldron, they grabbed a handful of floo powder and stepped in one at a time.

"Saint Mungo's!"


End file.
